Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a RELQUAL-construct and to test its impact on satisfaction in Norwegian business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach – This study is based upon a survey and random sample of small and medium-sized companies in Norway. Initially, respondents were contacted by phone and a total of 581 surveys were mailed. A total of 212 surveys were returned, a response rate of 36.5 percent.

Findings – Two principal findings are: business relationships characterized by commitment/continuity and coordination/cooperation indicate a higher degree of a company's perceived satisfaction of the supplier; and business relationships characterized by opportunism/distrust and dependence indicate a lower degree of a company's perceived satisfaction of the supplier.

Research limitations/implications – The RELQUAL-construct and its impact on satisfaction in business relationships appears to be accurate for those Norwegian business relationships studied, but only further work in examining other companies will verify its universal applicability if it is to be seen as a valid and reliable measurement for other companies' business relationships too. Suggestions for further research are provided.

Practical implications – This study is of managerial interest to executives since it provides a framework of dimensions to be considered in corporate efforts in maintaining satisfactory levels of relationship quality in business relationships.

Originality/value – The RELQUAL-construct makes a contribution to theory since it proposes a higher order-construct and measurement instrument for the benefit of other researchers and practitioners in the field. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.